


Requiem

by Vipersweb (Rhianona)



Series: Fanfare for the Common Man [3]
Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-10
Updated: 2010-04-10
Packaged: 2017-10-08 20:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/79341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhianona/pseuds/Vipersweb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian and Barbara are invited to Ianto's home for an art exhibition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Requiem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A. Ross](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=A.+Ross).



> Disclaimer: [insert witty comment here] Doctor Who and Torchwood do not belong to me.
> 
> Author's Note: written for A. Ross' birthday. This fits within the Fanfare 'verse, though it takes place far, far in the future of that 'verse. I tried to write this without spoiling what will happen, though there are large hints here.

The invitation arrived on the finest vellum; its weigh soft and fine, the ink used to pen the details a shade reminiscent of the skies on T'labari. Barbara wondered where its author had found such a unique shade of dark greenish-blue. Perhaps he had found it on his travels, for it did not resemble any hue available on Earth. Hand-written calligraphy, familiar to her and offering proof of the host without a need to glance at the signature. A smile crept over her face. She had not seen Ianto since he had moved to Cardiff. In all likelihood, more years had passed for him since they had last met than for she and Ian. She would know more once she saw him again.

"What's that, Barbara?" Ian's question interrupted her musings. She handed the invitation to her husband, once again struck by how much she loved her fellow teacher. They had been together for over forty years, and he still cut a fine figure of a man, aging gracefully, and still lit with the fire that had led him to argue passionately with the Doctor about doing the right thing, rather than just fleeing at the first sign of trouble.

"Ianto's having a showing, at his farmhouse."

"Of course we're attending," Ian stated and Barbara nodded in agreement. "Don't we have dinner plans with the Carltons that weekend?"

"Yes. I'll give Beth a ring and reschedule."

"And I'll make reservations at that lovely B&amp;B near his place. I imagine Ianto will be too busy to put us up for the night."

Ian placed the invitation on the table, before kissing his wife on the top of her head. "I'm off then. Did you need anything while I'm out?"

"Nothing, thanks."

"Alright, then. I'll see you at lunch."

Barbara watched as her husband left their house, before picking up the invitation again. _A showing, huh. I wonder which of his painting he'll be exhibiting? Hm… maybe the Doctor will be there as well. I just wish I knew _when_ in his personal time line this is._ She sighed, tapping the card against the tabletop absentmindedly. _Oh, well. It's been forty years for me; waiting longer won't be too burdensome._

***

Barbara had always found it amusing to call Ianto's safe haven a farmhouse. It was actually a smallholding, with multiple buildings, one of which _was_ a farmhouse. Located in the Rhulen Valley near Builth Wells, it had been in his family for a number of generations. Ianto's uncle had left it to him, a legacy instead of the money he had gifted Ianto's many siblings. Ianto had once confided to Barbara and Ian that his uncle had feared Ianto would make a go as an artist, and wanted to make sure that he always had a roof over his head and a means of income (with little trouble, it could become an actual _working_ farm), even if he starved because of his art. While Ianto didn't live there on a regular basis, it had become the one place he fled to when he needed to recuperate or just wanted to have a small vacation from the craziness that encompassed his life.

Barbara appreciated the drive; the Brecon Beacons National Park rivaled even the most gorgeous of alien landscape she had visited with the Doctor. And the holding itself bordered unspoiled moorland, and had a spectacular view of gardens, pastures and a small woodland. It was quite a magical place. Personally, she did not know why Ianto did not choose to live there on a permanent basis. Of course he was young yet, and single. She just hoped that whoever Ianto did choose to marry appreciated the singular beauty of his home.

"Looks like he's invited a number of people," Ian commented as their car turned into the drive. Ahead, they could see a number of parked vehicles.

"I imagine we will know a number of those invited," Barbara replied.

"True. You mentioned that Ianto had only invited those friends of the Doctor, correct?" Ian asked.

"Yes. He said only those who had traveled or spend time with the Doctor would truly grasp the extent of the art he's showing. I must admit to being intrigued. I wonder what he will include…" she mused. Ianto had shown both her and Ian examples of his work in the years since he had returned to his own time after his first trip with the Doctor. He was quite prolific, which was slightly amazing considering he didn't have a lot of free time to spend in his studio. Not with his job at Torchwood taking priority over most things. Barbara thought that was quite a shame. She also wondered if any of Ianto's colleagues would be here. From past conversations with Ianto, she knew that his boss had once traveled with the Doctor.

"Shall we?" Ian asked as he helped Barbara from the car. She smiled as she gave him her hand and they walked to what was once the stables, but had been converted into a gallery. The low murmur of voices echoed through the open doors. Entering, they were immediately accosted by Ianto.

"Ian! Barbara! I'm so pleased you made it here!" the young man said.

"How could we resist?" Ian asked, embracing Ianto.

"You know how much we love to visit you and coming here is truly no hardship," Barbara added, taking her turn for a hug after Ian released him. Once greetings and other pleasantries were done, she listened as Ianto pointed out the various people already in the room. She recognized some from other small gatherings hosted by Ianto in the past. She also figured Ian could remind her of what Ianto said after they started mingling. She took the opportunity to examine their host.

In many ways, Ianto still resembled the young man she had first met in 1963. Oh, he had grown taller and a bit broader, but he still retained that elegant, sleek look. His hair still curled, as it did when it reached a certain length. He still possessed that sweet smile that he had used to devastating effect against nearly everyone he met. But in other ways, he had changed. His eyes… once so full of innocence and naivety, looked bruised, and betrayed the pain and suffering he had experienced in the past few years. His hands - delicate long fingers, always touching and caressing - a hint to his hobby and predilection for artistry - were encased in form-fitting black gloves that resembled gauntlets. Rather the crisply tailored suits he normally wore, he instead stood clothed in the loose trousers and over-robe she dimly remembered from her first - and last - harrowing trip to Kevla. So much of that visit she had forced herself to forget, the horrors she had seen too much. She had had nightmares for months after they had left. They all had - though the Doctor had been loath to admit it. She suspected that the TARDIS had meddled and dulled their memories because one night, her nightmares had simply ceased.

In fact, her familiarity with Kevlan garments owed itself to the sketches Ianto had shown her while traveling on the TARDIS. Drawings of the friends he had made while learning to control his gift, of Kevlan architecture, of everyday Kevlan life. And always, the vivid and exotic colors that seemed to personify Kevlan style. She admired the colors he wore: the trousers a deep green so dark, it appeared black; the outer robe was an iridescent cream, belted at the side, and falling to his knees. It would be restrictive to walk in, save for the slits to the waist. Delicate embroidery in bold colors wove and weaved into the borders of the robe, motifs that she did not recognize and had an otherworldly quality to them. She saw that he continued to wear the necklace she had first seen him wear, all those years ago. It looked as pristine now as it did then. Not for the first time, she wondered at the preservative qualities of Kevlan goods.

Looking at him now, she realized with a pang that this was a Ianto who had experienced the Kevlan incident. She didn't know how she could tell; perhaps it was the look in his eye, or the way he held himself. Ianto had once fallen into everything with an enthusiasm not feigned. Now, despite being in the midst of a gathering he himself had called, he held himself apart from them all. Her heart broke a little at that realization. Never had she wanted him to feel such heartbreak.

"I better go and make sure there is enough wine out. I'll speak to you later, yeah?" Ianto stated, smiling at them both.

"Of course. I can't wait to see your exhibit," Barbara replied. Ianto just smiled before turning to attend to his host duties.

"Shall we mingle, then?" Ian asked rhetorically. Barbara threw him a grin, before latching onto his hand and dragging him to a group that included Polly and Ben. They had not spoken to either of the former Companions for a few years.

It never ceased to amaze Barbara how many the Doctor had touched. She had long since stopped being surprised at how Ianto seemed to know each and every one of them. Or at least those that lived on Earth in the 20th - now 21st - Century. It was a good feeling, to be surrounded by those who had also experience the wonder and terror of traveling with the Doctor, of saving worlds, of running for one's life. It was a sensation that never really left her, not even after the forty-plus years since the Doctor had returned her and Ian home.

***

Eventually, it seemed that Ianto greeted each of his expected guests. At least, Barbara assumed that. She had noted with some amusement the rather handsome gent - American accent - who had arrived in 1940s clothing, complete with authentic RAF coat. That one had arrived with a whole group of people - Torchwood, according to Sarah Jane. Barbara's eyes had narrowed and she had nudged Ian and pointed out Ianto's team. She did not know if he still worked for Torchwood, but both she and Ian had heard about this team. The pretty Asian - Toshiko, Barbara's mind reminded - hugged Ianto in greeting, holding him close to her as if she had not seen him for some time. And perhaps she had not. Another hug from the other female, but this one was quicker, though no less friendly. The shorter man gave Ianto a perfunctory handshake, before heading to the bar area. That left the one Barbara assumed was Jack Harkness. He was also a former Companion of the Doctor. How he had come to head Torchwood-Three, which, from what Ianto had mentioned, was virulently against the Doctor and all he had traveled with, she had no idea.

She couldn't help but stare at the way Jack had approached Ianto. It was almost as if he were scared Ianto was going to run or turn him away. He enfolded the younger man into his arms, holding him closely. Releasing him, he had pressed a soft, but passionate kiss, to Ianto's lips before stepping away. Ianto had smiled ruefully at him, before moving to introduce the others to some of the guests. Barbara was extremely curious as to what type of relationship Ianto had with Jack, but couldn't very well ask Ianto here and now. She made a mental note to inquire at a future date, and let her attention be dragged back into the conversation.

A clinking against a glass took everyone's attention to where Ianto stood. It quieted down as everyone wait to hear the announcement.

"It looks as if everyone invited is here. Well done! I appreciate all of you making the trek into the Welsh countryside," he began with a self-deprecating smile. "All of you are here because of one being. He has touched our lives, in small ways and big ones. He has saved our lives, shown us the greatest wonders of the universe, and the depths to which all beings will go. Sometimes, we have been shown the very worst things in life. Others, the most brilliant." He paused. "I am, of course, speaking of the Doctor. I had… hoped he would make it today - or at least one of his regenerations, but he called me earlier this morning to say he could not make it." This did not surprise Barbara. The Doctor did not really like revisiting his old Companions. And a crowd of them, would likely be too much for him. If anyone could get him to do so, it would have been Ianto, the only one of them all, he had come back for, time and time again.

"At any rate, inside the gallery, you will see a large number of my paintings, sketches and drawings from my travels with the Doctor. I can't think of a group of people who would appreciate this more." Unspoken were the words on how no one else _could_ see the paintings, especially of the foreign worlds. Barbara smiled as Ianto awkwardly smiled, before turning to open the doors leading into the gallery part of the converted stables. He entered, followed by others, before melting away and leaving the room. Barbara assumed he did not want to answer any awkward questions. For all that he sketched and drew all the time, he was oddly shy about displaying his work. She did not quite understand it, because he was very talented.

"God, Barbara. Look at this!" Ian pointed towards a painting of them with the Doctor they had traveled with and Susan. It looked remarkably like the pen and ink versions Ianto had gifted to them all before he left the TARDIS, and brought up memories of that time. Only the fact that it was painted with colors that she knew did not belong on Earth, told Barbara that it was a more recent painting.

"It's beautiful, Ian. Look how young we were then!" she commented with a laugh. Ian joined her, holding her arm as they wandered down the hall, taking in all the various paintings and sketches Ianto had displayed.

It was a wonderful cross-section of his work. The Doctor and his companions dominated the selection, which made sense seeing as he had outright said the showing was in part, a tribute to the Doctor and his Companions. But interspersed were pieces illustrating alien planets, landscapes and everyday life. A number were of Kevla, portraits of friends, the Temple on Tyyneys, the gardens and the marketplaces.

He even displayed work depicting Earth. Wales, in all her beauty, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, with what looked suspiciously like pteranodon flying above it, and members of his Torchwood team, past and present.

It struck Barbara as they came full circle what all of this was: it was Ianto's life. All that he had seen and done, displayed here, for those who would most appreciate it. It was humbling that he would expose himself to such an extent: all his triumphs and joys and despair and relationships - all on display.

This might be for the Doctor, but it illustrated Ianto's soul. And what a beautiful one it was.

She looked at her husband, catching his gaze as they stood before the painting they had first seen. He smiled at her sadly. Ian understood what she did. She closed her eyes briefly, wondering just what the aftermath of the Kevlan incident had done to Ianto. She wondered if he would ever fully heal.

"I'm alright, Barbara," Ianto's soft voice said to her. She opened her eyes and gave him a sad smile.

"Are you? Are you, really?"

"Painting is an attempt to come to terms with life. There are as many solutions as there are human beings."

"George Tooker," she said, identifying the quote after a few moments of thought.

"Very good."

"We worry," Ian said.

"I know. And I love you both for it," Ianto replied. He inserted himself between the two of them and, holding onto them, turned them towards the painting of them. "Seems so long ago, doesn't it?" he asked.

"It was over four decades ago for us," Ian chided.

Ianto laughed. "Gods. We had such fun, though. I miss it, sometimes. The simplicity of it all. How determined you were that the Doctor accept the ideals you had grown up with. How much you all argued with him. Stubborn old coot."

"Yes, but then all Susan had to do was smile and he would do anything. How he adored her," Ian commented, lost in memory.

"Susan was very special," Ianto acknowledged.

They all lapsed into silence for a moment, reliving the time they had spent traveling with the Doctor and Susan. Barbara smiled in remembrance. What a grand time it had been!

"What did you think of the rest?" Ianto asked suddenly, waving his hand towards the rest of the display.

"Your talent has only grown," Barbara answered truthfully. "I suspect the sketches and paintings you've given to Ian and I will be worth quite a lot in a few years time."

Ianto snorted. "Yes, I suppose so. Hard for me to understand it really, but…" He shrugged. "I've sent some to a gallery in London. Not these, obviously. Or any of the ones painted with paints not from Earth. But the ones that aren't going to bring on questions. I figure I'll see what happens, you know?"

"So you're not returning to Torchwood?" Barbara asked carefully. She felt Ianto freeze, watched as he pulled back emotionally and mentally, even if he still held an arm around each of them.

"I can't go back yet. My… gift. It's too unstable at the moment to handle large crowds or the type of situations Torchwood comes against," he finally said.

"I'm sorry," Barbara apologized. He shrugged.

"It is what it is," he replied philosophically. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I see Jack is about to get slapped. I should go and rescue him."

Barbara watched as he walked away. Jack abandoned his flirtation and focused on Ianto. She wondered how he dealt with Ianto away from him. She wondered how Ianto could stand it - he positively lit up just being with the other man. It wasn't fair!

"He'll be alright," Ian said to her quietly.

"How can you be sure, Ian?"

"He's strong. And he's come this far. He won't go down without a fight. And I don't think his friend over there, will let him either."

Barbara looked back and saw Ianto and Jack next to one another, almost merging together, as if they were one. Jack had a silly grin on his face, an arm wrapped around Ianto's shoulders and was paying rapt attention to whatever Ianto was telling him. Maybe Ian was right. Maybe Ianto just needed time to recover.

She really hoped that was all he needed.

_/fin_


End file.
